


Magnetic

by Squidbitch



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Blood Loss, Feelings, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Stitches, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 03:57:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15810849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squidbitch/pseuds/Squidbitch
Summary: Of course he had to mug the man with a knife on his person





	Magnetic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [howlikeagod](https://archiveofourown.org/users/howlikeagod/gifts).



> Inspired by @howlikeagod's work if not for love. Go show them some love

It's really quite a massive miscalculation. This is not really the best part of town, well, quite obviously the worser parts of the worse parts of town. Not bad enough to be Old Town by a mile, but Peter doesn't have much business in those sorts of places. It _is,_ however alike Old Town in the way that they are both in Hyperion City, which is a sort of problem.

 

Peter promised himself (and someone else) that he would not come back here. And yet, here he is with a few ferocious stab wounds, and vertigo in his mind.

 

He promised himself he was only passing through. He needed to get supplies, but before that he needed cash.

Besides, he wasn't going back on his promise. He said he wouldn't come close to Juno ever again, and although they're in the same city, he took a direct detour to the other side of the city from Juno's place. He decided to waste the last of his pocket money on food, thinking he could just mug someone and that would be that. 

Of course he _had_ to mug the man with a knife on his person.

 

The blood loss is starting to make him feel off balanced. That's not a good sign. This city isn't helping him to think any clearer either. He could practically hear Juno's words from the wall, and it wasn't just from blood loss. Juno Steel is an epitome of the city. The graffiti on the walls are not unlike the scars he traced that night. Tall buildings, like Juno's voice climbing higher as he gripped hotel sheets. The glass on the ground as sharp as his wit. The soft light of the artificial streetlight couldn't be as soft as his chapped lips if they tried, but it's close enough. The wind is his voice. Harsh but smooth, like the whisky he drinks.

 

Wait a minute.

 

He hears it grow louder and louder.

 

"Okay, please try explaining to me why you took me to the _other side of town_ to watch a goddamn movie!" He says angrily.

 

Peter's heart stops. Then the rest of his body.

 

"Mistah Steel!" He recognizes the voice. Rita. Juno's secretary. It pierces through the cold sim wind. "I told ya that _Gem of Neptune_ was airing in this part of town, not over there!"

 

"Can't you-like-illegally download this shit, so we can watch it in the office or-what the hell?"

 

Maybe part of Peter _wanted_ them to find him because there wasn't a whole lot between them. He was hoping that he'd look like just another homeless guy in the shadows. He might have done it too, if it weren't for Juno's hero complex, and the fact that his body decided the bloodloss wasn't his style, and collapse onto the floor.

 

And that's how he ended up back in bed with Juno Steel. Admittedly this time wasn't near as fun. This time he couldn't move too much, or his stitches would pull and hurt. He couldn't kiss Juno. They weren't like that right now, and probably never would be again. This time Juno's legs didn't wrap around his hips, pulling him impossibly closer. Juno's hands didn't tangle themselves into the sheets, with his head thrown back. He didn't gasp Peter's name like it was a prayer, like he was special. This time Juno hadn't even come to the bed until Peter was long asleep.

 

That was okay though. He's pretty busy running himself in circles in his mind. Right now he's forcing himself not to think of how stupid he is for setting foot on Mars. He tries hard to not look at Juno's sleeping face, but he's right _there._ Even if there's a twist in his stomach everytime he sees the eye patch, he can't not think about how pretty Juno looks. His curls a mess, into the pillow. His lips parted just a bit. His eyelashes on his cheek. His sharp jawline accentuated by the light scars peppering his neck. And arms. And _everywhere_ _._ Like a constellation of a man, that Peter wants to touch. Juno is like a star himself. Soft skin and larger than life. Peter has been to a million stars, ones that have lit up the sky to beautifully that it feels absolutely impossible. Juno might not be nearly as bright, but this is one star he never wants to leave.

 

He makes himself look away, and he squeezes his eyes shut hard. Stupid, _stupid, stupid._ He never should have come here. He never should have even made a deal with someone in this _system_. He should have stayed away. Now all he can do is hope that when Juno wakes up-what does he hope? Why should not makes himself scarce right now? Leave only the memory of beautiful, delicate, grumpy, sleeping Juno. He should. He _should_ _._ But he _can't._ It just seems so close. The vision of what he had that night. Of taking Juno to all the beautiful worlds he should be able to see. Whenever Juno is close to him, he always feels like they could do anything together. Anything at all. They could bring down governments and taunt the law, and have amazing sex every night. And they could be _happy._ Part of him, that part of him that saved a planet. That part of him that hesitated before killing Mag.  That part of him that sees light in every crummy town he goes to _hopes._

 

It's going to be the death of him, but he feels like being close to Juno for a few more seconds is insurmountably better than leaving. He knows he'll regret it later, but he just doesn't have it in himself to deny it right now.

 

"Nureyev?"

 

Peter jumps a foot in the air, which _really_ doesn't help his stitches. Juno automatically apologizes. "Christ, sorry for scaring you. I shoulda said that earlier. I shouldn't even have slept in the same _room,_ but I wanted to make sure that your stitches wouldn't tear in your sleep." He babbles adorably. "I'm sorry.  I'm-I'm really _really_ fucking sorry and- I dunno, fuck."

 

"Juno." He winces as he sits up. "You have nothing to apologize for. I daresay you saved my life."

 

Juno growls. "Whatever. If you wanna dance around it, fine. I did a shitty thing and you don't ever have to see me again after this, just- just let me get some food in your stomach." With that, Juno hops off the bed, and walks towards the door. Peter starts to get up, but Juno stops him. "No, just stay there- I- I owe you anyways."

 

So he sits. Feels a bit nauseous. He doesn't berate himself, because it seems that Juno's doing that enough for the both of them.

 

It's only a few minutes later, when Juno brings him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He hands it to him and Juno starts talking. "I'm sorry that I don't have a lot of stuff. Hell that's usually what my meals are. Maybe tonight I'll actually make something." He pauses for a few seconds. He holds his breath, closes his eye for a second, and opens it. "That-that was stupid. Forget I said anything."

There's a moment where Peter doesn't say anything at all. Just thinks about the weight of the words. He takes a leap. 

"I would love that, personally." He can see hope light up in his face, and Peter wants to see that look every single day. "We really should talk about it though, Juno," He puts a hand on Juno's and the points where they touch run electricity through his body. Grounds him like nothing ever has.  Juno sees when Peter glances at his lips. 

Juno's face is getting closer. "We..." He's becoming a little dazed, his eyes flicking from his lips to his eye. "Need to see..." Juno's face is so close to his that he can feel the electric feeling of his lips, so close to his own. "Where we stand...." He hardly even remembers what he's supposed to be saying, just knows that it needs to be said.

 

"Can you kiss me?" Juno whispers, a small tiny secret between them.

 

He grabs his face and kisses him. Rough but slow. _God_ he missed this. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich falls to the floor, and goes stale.

 

* * *

 

At some point, when Juno is on his lap, making galaxies between his thighs, and Peter is throwing his head back- Juno says his name. Just barely. In between his rising and falling. A sweet, breathy, " _Peter Nureyev,_ ". He's heard poetry and a million songs and hymns and voices, and that _sound_ gives them all a run for their money.

 

* * *

 

Afterward Juno keeps checking over his stitches. "Hey, I've had stitches open because of sex, not fun."

 

Peter laughs. It's been a while since he's done that and _felt_ it. He's been holding his broken heart for... A while, and suddenly it doesn't hurt so much anymore.

Finally Juno rests his head on his shoulder, and sighs. Its a long, comfortable silence until Juno speaks up. "I don't..." Juno furrows his brow. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't regret leaving. I shoulda talked to you first, but..."

 

"But?"

 

"I've learned a lot this past year. Everything that happened with my brother-" Juno looks at his hands, and he swallows. "I still have my days, or whatever. When everything just gets _bad,_ but I'm not the worst person in the world. Every incident that coulda been avoided - it's not all my fault. And that night when I left, I didn't know that. I didn't know a lot of things."

 

"Such as your self worth?" Peter asks.  He assumes Juno's going to make a joke about how he's not worth anything. Instead he puts his hand over Peter's.

 

"Yeah, that too." That, more than anything, startles Peter. 

 

* * *

 

"Holy shit." Juno says. " _Holy fucking shit!_ " He looks at the carpet, apparently incredulous with it.

 

"Well, I suppose it is quite ugly-" Peter laughs.

 

"I'm on a _planet._ " He says, eyes wide.  He goes down to his knees and starts feeling the carpet.

 

Peter crouches down next to him. "And you were on one before. Is this so different?"

 

Juno sputters, running his fingers through his hair, and looking from Peter to the floor. "Um, obviously! This is- holy _shit,_ Nureyev! Holy shit, I'm gonna have a panic attack."

 

And then he does. Peter's there to give him a glass of water and worried looks about it while it happens. He tells him that he can go back to Mars if he needs it.

 

Juno shakes his head, and drinks the water afterward. "I'll be okay. It's just a lot." He looks up at him, though. Cup of water where he sits, and Peter more worried than he's been in a while. And still, he would rather be nursing Juno's broken breaths and hearing Juno's _stupid_ jokes about it later, than be anywhere else in the universe.

**Author's Note:**

> Do some of that snazzy ass commenting for me maybe?


End file.
